The present invention is a revolutionary approach to facilitating relative movement between two or more objects. Its diverse applications include drawer suspensions, chair tilt mechanisms, stool rotating mechanisms, pulley drive systems, bearings and others. In its various applications, it replaces ball bearings and bearing raceways, pulleys and belts, wheels, and various combinations of such devices.
Movement devices generally require lubrication. Such lubrication is either exposed or must be very carefully housed. When exposed, it is subject to dust contamination and lubrication loss. Housings on the other hand, are costly.
Pulley devices require no lubrication, but in many applications require complicated mounting systems and a number of different components. When used as drives around interfering objects, such as beams, air ducts, or the like, this is particularly true. A separate wheel is required every time the pulley belt must change direction.
One prior art bearing device which avoids the need for lubrication employs a looped, flexible spring steel band for effecting oscillatory motion between objects. One object is secured to the band at one point and another object is secured to the band at the other point. While such a device does not require lubrication, it still requires pulley wheels if its configuration is to be anything other than generally an ellipse. The device is applicable only where oscillatory movement is employed, since the objects are fixedly mounted to the steel band at spaced points. Finally, separate supporting means must be employed to support one object or another since the flexible band will collapse under a weight load.